Rather than join the crowd and head for the far east after serving three years in the IDF, Roi Drori, Tal Simsolu and Lior Feldman have decided to tour their own country, and give of themselves along the way. As they hike from north to south, the three friends will be stopping off at the children's wards in the nation's hospitals, giving out gifts and generally trying to cheer the kids up.
The idea for the mitzvah trek came from Noga, Tal's mother; the organizational backing comes from Kav Lachaim, LaMetayel (http://www.lametayel.com) and Israel Goodwill Ambassadors (http://www.dogood.org.il/). Kav Lachaim will be handling visitation schedules and all gift donations and LaMetayel has donated equipment for the hike. Spending most nights in tents, the trio will nonetheless avail themselves of friends, family and former military colleagues along the way. According to Tal Simsolu, "It's the public scope of the thing that we hope will have the greatest impact. Maybe other young people will begin to realize that there is a lot to do right here at home and you don't have to go to India to find a challenge and piece of mind all at the same time."
One special stop on the tour, which the three are willing to go off track to make, is with the Fux family of Kibbutz Geva. Staff Sgt. Assaf Moshe Fux of Tal's platoon was killed a few weeks ago in a shootout with terrorists near Tul Karem.
The idea for the mitzvah trek came from Noga, Tal's mother; the organizational backing comes from Kav Lachaim, LaMetayel (http://www.lametayel.com) and Israel Goodwill Ambassadors (http://www.dogood.org.il/). Kav Lachaim will be handling visitation schedules and all gift donations and LaMetayel has donated equipment for the hike. Spending most nights in tents, the trio will nonetheless avail themselves of friends, family and former military colleagues along the way. According to Tal Simsolu, "It's the public scope of the thing that we hope will have the greatest impact. Maybe other young people will begin to realize that there is a lot to do right here at home and you don't have to go to India to find a challenge and piece of mind all at the same time."
One special stop on the tour, which the three are willing to go off track to make, is with the Fux family of Kibbutz Geva. Staff Sgt. Assaf Moshe Fux of Tal's platoon was killed a few weeks ago in a shootout with terrorists near Tul Karem.